Month: December 2016

As we celebrate Christmas and commemorate Jesus coming to earth, it is right for us to ask and answer a very basic question – why did He come? Fortunately, Jesus Himself answered this question, and in His answer, we can find the greatest reason of all to celebrate this Christmas – He came that we may have abundant life. Let’s explore what Jesus did in relation to the abundance that is promised.

Jesus’ story doesn’t begin with His birth. In fact, Jesus’ story has no beginning or end. Jesus has, for all eternity, been together with God (John 1:1). He left this position of utmost abundance to be born into the world in human form. In so doing, he entered into quite the opposite situation. He was born in a stable because there was not a more suitable place available in Bethlehem (Luke 2:7). His earthly family was poor enough that when they went to the Temple after He was born, they gave an offering of two turtledoves which was specified for those who could not afford to offer a lamb (Luke 2:24, Leviticus 5:11). Soon after He was born, his family had to seek refuge in a land unfamiliar to them (Matthew 2:13). Once they were able to return to Israel, they located in Nazareth in Galilee, which was widely considered a place of second-class status (John 1:46). What a contrast from His heavenly abundance!

The contrast swings as strongly in the opposite direction for us. We are born into an earthly life that contains sin and its deadly effects, pain, suffering, despair, illness that will ultimately lead to death and eternal separation from God. The life that Jesus made possible by His saving work, of which His birth is just a part (See “Jesus Was Born For You” for more on this), has much different attributes:

Hope – an eternity spent together with God is assured! (Titus 3:7)

Joy – an everlasting happiness that can penetrate even the toughest of times (Isaiah 61:7)

Love – an eternal, unconditional love of God that will never change (Psalm 136:2).

Jesus came from the highest abundance and was born into this world in the most ‘un-abundant’ of ways. Because He did, we can exchange the ‘un-abundant’, cheap imitation of life that exists in this world for an abundant life filled with Hope, Joy, Peace, and Love. That’s why He came. That’s the truth.

Jesus can that you may have life; that you may have a life filled with hope; that you may have a life filled with joy; that you may have a life filled with peace; that you may have a life filled with love; that you may have a truly abundant life!

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11 (KJV)

The Christmas holiday season is the most observed, most significant period on most family calendars in our country. For weeks we prepare, many times in all-consuming ways, for the biggest holiday of the year. While there is nothing wrong with devoting so much time and energy remembering and celebrating Jesus’ birth, it is easy to assign undue significance to the event. Of the events that reveal Jesus’ nature as the Messiah, the Savior, His birth may be one of the least significant! In fact, there would be nothing about His birth to celebrate, were it not for three other events that truly define Jesus Messianic nature. Let’s devote some time to understanding these events and then return to our birthday celebration and truly celebrate!

Event #1 Jesus’ Conception

The Bible tells us that Jesus was born to a woman who was a virgin. Jesus was not conceived through natural means, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, by God Himself (Luke 1:31-35). Jesus was thus conceived with a divine nature and a human nature, getting His divine nature from His heavenly Father, God, and His human nature from His human mother Mary. Only a Savior conceived in this manner would have the dual nature required to provide the way to salvation. If either the human or divine component were to be missing, salvation would be impossible. Were it not for God’s direct involvement in Jesus’ conception, His birth would have been meaningless. Let’s continue on to see why this is so.

Event #2 Jesus’ Life

The Bible tells us that Jesus led a life that was without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21). This is the most significant truth about His life on earth, yet it usually takes a back seat to His teaching, healing the sick, calming storms, walking on water and bringing dead people back to life. While all of these acts revealed that Jesus possessed divine power, they would all be meaningless, if they were accompanied in Jesus’ life by even one sin. Only Jesus, because He was conceived with both divine and human nature, could accomplish living a sinless human life. Since we have not been so conceived, sin is a part of our life. Let’s continue on, to tie this all together.

Event #3 Jesus’ death on the cross

The Bible tells us that the penalty of sin is death (Romans 6:23). There’s no way out. Because we sin, we will die. Because Jesus did not sin, death was not part of His future. But He chose to die anyway! He paid a penalty that was not due. What does He do with this ‘excess’ payment? He offers it to each of us! Because Jesus suffered a human death, he can offer His payment in place of ours! Because Jesus had a divine nature, the payment made by His death has an infinite value! He can continue to offer payments and He will always have a remaining balance to offer more payments! (If you haven’t accepted Jesus’ offer or aren’t sure how to, please see “For God So Loves You” right now!)

Now let’s return to Jesus’ birthday celebration. Because He was conceived as He was, lived as He lived, and died as He died, we truly have something to celebrate each Christmas! That’s the truth.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit for you, so He could live a sinless life for you, so He could pay a penalty of death not required of Him, so that He could offer His death payment to you. This Savior is Christ the Lord. He has done this all for you!